Sarget de Gruaud Larose, St Julien,

Baked spices, turmeric and cloves, this has dense fruits and soft waves of tobacco leaf and liquorice, intense and slighlty drying on the finish, reflecting the vintage. Almost 2/3 Sarget in this vintage. First certified organic vintage, 15% new oak, harvest September 7 to 24.

The 2022 Sarget de Gruaud Larose is composed of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out with bold notes of plum preserves, creme de cassis, and blackberry jam, plus hints of dark chocolate and camphor. The medium-bodied palate is bursting with expressive blackberry preserves flavors, supported by lightly chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing spicy.

The 2022 Sarget de Gruaud Larose was picked from 7 until 24 September at 29.9hL/ha. The nose bodes well with raspberry and wild strawberry scents. There's a faint mocha scent in the background. Overall, the nose is well-defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, a liberal sprinkling of white pepper and a slightly gritty finish. Quite open toward the finish, this will be a decent Deuxieme Vin with drinkability from its youth.